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Honjin of Iwanami Family

Come here to see the best garden on the Nakasendo

Honjins were official inns used exclusively by higher ranking officials in the Edo Period (1603-1867). The garden located at Honjin of Iwanami Family was built over the course of a decade by compiling the stones and scenery of the deep gorges and valleys found in mountains. The garden’s plant life hasn’t changed since the Edo Period, and the garden landscape seen from the upper seat where Emperor Meiji sat is special throughout the four seasons. Currently, the 28th generation of the Iwanami family passes along a number of its cultural assets such as precious materials and furnishings found at the honjin.